Tuesday, 2 December 2008

As a community, we have come to count on each other to be entertained, challenged, and moved by what we watch and share on YouTube. We've been thinking a lot lately about how to make the collective YouTube experience even better, particularly on our most visited pages. Our goal is to help ensure that you're viewing content that's relevant to you, and not inadvertently coming across content that isn't. Here are a few things we came up with:

Stricter standard for mature content - While videos featuring pornographic images or sex acts are always removed from the site when they're flagged, we're tightening the standard for what is considered "sexually suggestive." Videos with sexually suggestive (but not prohibited) content will be age-restricted, which means they'll be available only to viewers who are 18 or older. To learn more about what constitutes "sexually suggestive" content, click here.

Demotion of sexually suggestive content and profanity - Videos that are considered sexually suggestive, or that contain profanity, will be algorithmically demoted on our 'Most Viewed,' 'Top Favourited,' and other browse pages. The classification of these types of videos is based on a number of factors, including video content and descriptions. In testing, we've found that out of the thousands of videos on these pages, only several each day are automatically demoted for being too graphic or explicit. However, those videos are often the ones which end up being repeatedly flagged by the community as being inappropriate.

Improved thumbnails - To make sure your thumbnail represents your video, your choices will now be selected algorithmically. You'll still have three thumbnails to choose from, but they will no longer be auto-generated from the 25/50/75 points in the video index.

More accurate video information - Our Community Guidelines have always prohibited folks from attempting to game view counts by entering misleading information in video descriptions, tags, titles, and other metadata. We remain serious about enforcing these rules. Remember, violations of these guidelines could result in removal of your video and repeated violations will lead to termination of your account.

The preservation and improvement of the YouTube experience is a responsibility we share. Let's work together to ensure that the YouTube community continues to thrive as a positive place for all of us.

If the video is unsuitable it should not be on youtube if it is it should. youtube is for teenagers and they are not as sensitive as you think. Also some video you make 18+ clearly contain under 16 year old children – they should be banned not made 18+

YouTube, I hope you've noticed that there are nothing but objections to this new system where there is opinion at all. A site does not appeal to more people or indeed "all of us" by cracking down more on sexual activity, profanity and whatever else which a too significant amount of people like. The third one I'm fine with. The last could be abused to no end. How exactly do you define "misleading information"?Please reconsider this action that you are about to take.

:/Why Sexual Suggestive!? Why can't you just stick with the origin idea about sexual/adult videos will only be viewable after 9pm. I saw this in the newspaper once. Because kids don't care about videos only playable to over 18, I have seen lots who have 18 years old account and they are only 12/14:/

Demotion for swearing in videos!? have you gone mad!? Do you mean certain limits of profanity?I don't know the strength for the profanity, but what if the video contains 1 swear word? By the way you said if users constantly flag it. That's fine if user constantly flag a video that contains heavy profanity.

I have no idea what you mean by the thumbnails, just allow us to take a snapshot in any minute/second of a video.

So you're going to have more videos marked as unsuitable for minors - which is understandable, but then you're going to censor them even more by not showing them on certain lists? Despite the fact people under 18 can't watch them anyway and people are already being given a warning before they watch the video? what's the point in that? if someone is told a video is offensive, and then watches it anyway, that's there fault. they had a warning and an opportunity not to watch it, and you're STILL going to hide all the popular videos that may be offensive. wtf.

This is a nonsense YouTube.. A nonsense. This is the internet, not China. What, I cant sit on my bed and make a video? Also, who's to say what words are offensive and which are not? and who are you to take away people's rights of free expression (see china comment above) Also, you've alienated a large group of your viewers here, narrowing your target market. Honestly YouTube, I really cannot come up with a sane reason for you to do all of this and while I know that the oppinion of I, the site user, means nothing to you, I do suggest that you undo this disaster.

Woah! This system of demoting videos for having "profanity" is going to be ridiculous. Top Rated videos should stay Top Rated whether they have profanity or not. Who does youtube think they're appeasing with this anyway? 8 year olds? Most people don't really care about profanity. This is the internet after all...

Woah! This system of demoting videos for having "profanity" is going to be ridiculous. Top Rated videos should stay Top Rated whether they have profanity or not. Who does youtube think they're appeasing with this anyway? 8 year olds? Most people don't really care about profanity. This is the internet after all...

why the hell do we watch youtube? if you are going to start 'algorithmically demoting' videos because their content doesnt agree with your vision of what a video on youtube 'should be' then you might as well just start your own bullshit tv channel and forget this whole internet thing. Sure, you forgoe all of the amazing freedom to exchange whatever ideas (profane and otherwise) but you'd appease some morons who get offended when people swear.

Eh no, this isn't gonna fly with most people. You can't just demote vids for profanity. If it's top rated then its top rated. And whats this about people putting misleading tags in their vids to gain more viewings? Who cares? Its not a race to get the most views; let them do it.

If those sexually suggestive or profane videos are top-rated and most-watched, doesn't that indicate that they are enjoyed by the community whose experience you claim to want to enhance? How do you expect to make this site better by demoting the content that people most enjoy? Why don't you just be honest; this is about laying the foundations for new media and advertising as TV becomes less significant, and you want to homogenize the site to bring in more people. Cowardly censorship had to come along sooner or later, we all knew the freedom of expression we enjoyed here couldn't last.

This is a really bad idea on the demotion plan. It is one thing having flags to at least give a warning, but it go the extra mile for draconian policies and actively censor videos for a little naughty language or extra bit of flesh? Oh yes, I am saying it is censorship, but censorship going too far. Please Youtube, do not go ahead the Demotion plan. Seriously.

why the hell do we watch youtube? if you are going to start 'algorithmically demoting' videos because their content doesnt agree with your vision of what a video on youtube 'should be' then you might as well just start your own bullshit tv channel and forget this whole internet thing. Sure, you forgoe all of the amazing freedom to exchange whatever ideas (profane and otherwise) but you'd appease some morons who get offended when people swear.

Stop using the word "community" and actually USE THE COMMUNITY. We're here, and we all have ideas to make your site better. If you actually LISTEN to what we have to say, instead of just ading arbitrary new features "for the greater good" then we'd all get along a lot better, trust me.

What the fuck piece of shit kind of stupidity is this? Are comment going to "algorithmically" get "demoted" for say FUCK YOU? This is just another step to suffrocate free speech...and this is by means of what is clear and blatent deception. No matter how just you want to be youtube, deception is deception in all its forms.

What the fuck piece of shit kind of stupidity is this? Are comment going to "algorithmically" get "demoted" for say FUCK YOU? This is just another step to suffrocate free speech...and this is by means of what is clear and blatent deception. No matter how just you want to be youtube, deception is deception in all its forms.

Not acceptable youtube. If you just want people to migrate to other less used but higher quality sites just because you cant ignore a few do-gooders with nothing better to do than complain about videos they could just as easily not watch, then you are a bunch of dumb fuckers who fail.

While the latter two points seem like a reasonable step, the first two are complete bullshit and can go crawl in a hole to die. Demotion of popular videos? You guys ought to fuck off with that idea. Maybe make "FamilyTube" if that is the direction you want to go, but keep in mind there's a reason those videos are popular.

How in earth is re-rating videos based on the maraloty polices personal guidelines making youtube more 'for all of us'. In fact its quite the opposite. For all of us is an open democratic system that we currently have.And of all ways to do this, to down rate it on most viewed? This is just downright dishonest. Its either most viewed, or it isnt. Do fake the results because a minority doesnt like the content is just downright lying. And we are talking about a minority here or it wouldn't have been most viewed in the first place.Just plain stupid. Like the guy below said.... start a 'FamilyTube'

I totally disagree with the 'demotion' of videos containing profanity or challenging material. This is a site for EVERYONE. It seems that the do-gooders can't cope with a little bit of reality so they try and censor everything in sight to protect 'the children'. This is going to sanitise Youtube into non existence. What'll be next? Censor videos with images of weapons or action? If YouTube turns into nothing but kittens playing and people having banal conversations then most of us will go elsewhere. STOP meddling with YouTube. It's fine as it is, so stop the damn meddling.

If you insist on "algorithmically demoting" videos that are in the most watched lists etc, you are in danger of many of "the community" going to other sites. For now you tube has a virual monopoly but if you remove the freedoms that make it great this could chnage over night. See how much advertising revenue you make when you're no longer the premier video sight.

I dearly hope someone in a decision making position reads these comments. I have yet to find one which supports this move. This is very depressing news. As a worker in the 'old media' TV industry, this is just the sort of logic that is imposed from outside, it is pandering to people who want to control what we think, by controlling what we watch. It is without doubt a very bad move and clearly one that has been imposed on You Tube from outside. I heartily endorse You Tube's policy of removing pornographic and overtly sexual videos, there's plenty of other places for those, but people such as myself who occasionally use strong language to emphasise an important point should not be penalised for doing so. I beg you to reconsider this most drastic action.

It is strange that you amend the definition of "most viewed" to be "most viewed - that we find acceptable" - how does this mesh with the idea that it is a "Youtube for all" if the most popular videos get "algorithmically demoted"? What is the reasoning behind this? Why should Youtube as an entity get to say what should (or rather what shouldn't) be "popular".

It is about time Youtube started treating its users like adults rather than 12 year old children whose parents are there to stop them accessing "profanity"...

I could also comment about how you are redefining the word "nudity" to include "sheer clothing" and "partially covered" - but I feel its all falling on deaf ears.

I dearly hope someone in a decision making position reads these comments. I have yet to find one which supports this move. This is very depressing news. As a worker in the 'old media' TV industry, this is just the sort of logic that is imposed from outside, it is pandering to people who want to control what we think, by controlling what we watch. It is without doubt a very bad move and clearly one that has been imposed on You Tube from outside. I heartily endorse You Tube's policy of removing pornographic and overtly sexual videos, there's plenty of other places for those, but people such as myself who occasionally use strong language to emphasise an important point should not be penalised for doing so. I beg you to reconsider this most drastic action.

oh my fucking god youtube (see what i did there :P) you're not only censoring us you're censoring YOURSELF if i can't say what i want in my video's then why should i even bother to post video's on this site? i hope you're prepared for the actions some individuals may take upon you , or your servers i am not one of those individuals but the words DDoS and ATTACK spring to mind and 4CHAN good luck with your fail youtube.

jesus when did youtube become such a bitch to the parents of kids who are allowed to surf the net unsupervised?Fuck youtube, when u get an email saying "my 6 year old son went of a video titled 'angry fucking rant' and now he knows the word 'cunt'!!"email back "were your watching him at the time?"

PLEASE HELP ME FIND OR SEND ME THE DOCUMENTRY FROM CHANNEL 4 I THINK WITH JANET STREET PORTER AND DANNY BAKER INTERVEIWING KIDS FROM CAR THEFT CONVICTIONS AND ASKING THE ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE TO A PRISON SENTENCE CALLED ITMEC A PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO TAKE YOUNG CAR THEVT OFFENDERS AND PUT THEM ON A BUILD YER OWN AND RACE BANGERS PROGRAM AS I WAS ON IT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BUT CANT SEEM TO FIND IT,:(IF ANYONE COULD SEND IT TO EMAIL crissywizz@hotmail.com

If my channel at youtube dot com politicalvideos gets more views then it's a good thing.People won't be offended at my channel-just educated. I remove all profanity from comment boxes because young people are badly influenced by it, and others like to have slanging matches which my channel is not a part of. Perhaps we should be able to add a profanity/explicit warning pop-up to our videos. At least then if that's what kind of conversation or viewing you want then it makes it easier to choose those profane or explicit videos.

There is also a problem with hate-stirring on Youtube, between races and religions, which only makes things worse usually for those in the most pain.Offending a Muslim for example might offend Muslims far more than what you consider offensive...